📋 Tender Overview
According to studies, Humboldt penguin populations have been reduced by 87.5% nationwide. The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) and the sea otter (Lontra felina) are in danger of extinction, and their natural habitats are threatened, which is why the National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, together with public institutions and civil society, are preparing the National Conservation Plan for both species.
The general director of Sustainable Management of Forest and Wildlife Heritage of SERFOR, Luis Saavedra Munoz, indicated that the situation of the two endemic species is worrying. In recent years, their populations have been affected by new threats, such as the oil spill on the coasts of Lima, the presence of the avian influenza virus, in addition to the events of the El Nino Phenomenon, he said.
Saavedra Munoz emphasized that both species play a fundamental role in the coastal marine ecosystem, being predators they are at the top of the food chain, their presence and abundance indicate the health of the ecosystem in which they live. Likewise, these charismatic species have tourism potential, which can contribute to improving the economy of our Peruvian coastal regions.
According to studies, Humboldt penguin populations have been reduced by 87.5% at a national level, while in the coastal marine area between Ventanilla and Chancay, sea otters cannot be reported, as was the case before. SERFOR is seeking to have a plan that guarantees the conservation of the Humboldt penguin and the sea otter, which prioritizes actions by the different actors, both public and private, and whose provisions are mandatory.
For his part, the Director General of Biological Diversity of the Ministry of the Environment, Mirbel Epiqui, mentioned that they work together with SERFOR to design policies related to biodiversity management. One of the important issues is the management and recovery of wild fauna, which requires financial resources, which can be managed with plans, such as the one developed for the two marine species.
Within this framework, on January 28 and 29, the II workshop was held for the development of the National Conservation Plan for the Humboldt penguin and the sea otter with the support of ProDelphinus, the Save the Blue Five project and Peru LNG. The meeting brought together more than 72 representatives of important public institutions, such as the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, the National Service of Natural Protected Areas by the State, the Peruvian Sea Institute, Agrorural, the General Directorate of Captaincies and Coast Guard, the Specialized Prosecutors Office for Environmental Matters, among others.
Likewise, non-governmental organizations such as Acorema, the Peruvian Association for the Conservation of Nature, Oceana; and various universities, such as the Universidad Cientifica del Sur and the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, the Saint Louis Zoo, researchers, experts in the study and management of the two species.
Fact: The Humboldt penguin and the sea otter are categorized as In Danger according to the list of threatened species of legally protected wildlife, their distribution range in Peru goes from Foca Island in Piura to Punta Coles in Moquegua. Both are included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
